Youngest B747-400 Captain
 

Hi, I'm a journalist doing some research on the B747-400. Can anyone tell me who might be the current youngest B747-400 Captain. I have a list of a few airlines that fly this aircraft, but need some help on the crews from these airlines and any others that might fly the same aircraft. United Airlines, Northwest/Delta, Polar, Atlas, Kalitta Air, Cathay Pacific, Great Wall, Lufthansa, Emirates, and any others you might think of. Thank you for any help you can provide.

Emirates have 747s? Someone better tell them because their website seems not to know.

Hi Jim,

Just being curious: If you are doing research on the 744 as such, where does age of PIC come into the equation?

No harm, just honestly curious.

Cheers,
redbar1

SQ
 

I'm curious as to know why you want this information as well.
But for rumor sake. Years ago I was introduced to a SQ B747-400 Captain.
He was 27 years old at the time.

Interesting TWNPPL. A Singaporean used not to be able to join the airline until he was twenty six! Had to have completed National Service first, then he would have had to amass the hours and sectors necessary for a first command, usually on the smaller fleet, the A310 in my day. A non-Singaporean joining younger than 26 would have had a time penalty attached to their TCOS to ensure they didn't get an advantage over a Local.

The youngest ex-pat B744 captain I knew in SIA was in his late thirties, about the same age that a Singaporean would hope to make it.

Wrong.
I flew with many of 'em who had joined at age 24....and long before any A310's were on the property.

Emirates operate 747-400Fs. Not sure if there flown by TNT, Atlas or Emirates pilots though.

This research has to do with the cycles of the economy and the upgrade expectations. I happen to be centering my article around the B747-400. No offense to any other type aircraft operators. Is there any SQ Captain (on the B747-400) currently 27 yr old?

Most outfits operating the B747-400 will be reputable and seniority will be observed. Therefore any upgrades can take time. Air India have and had, a few late 30's early 40's IIRC.

However there are one or two outfits who have got their hands on 744's now, where seniority does not exist. AAI for example, where there are probably individuals (with little conscience, let alone experience) have "jumped the que". Try them as there maybe some surprises.

Is there any SQ Captain (on the B747-400) currently 27 yr old?

Not a hope.

I made MD-11 captain at 35....

With ref to SQ ages...If you were Singaporean you had to wait until your were 26 (see above posting) and do your service to your country... But if you are Malaysian there is no service required...and I remember a 21 year old FO...but as far as a 27 year old B744 skipper? Unlikely unless he was an expat with a lot of "time" in his log book...but knowing how the recruitment gang worked... seems like a rumour. the other question here to the journo is why is it important?

Jim

It would be interesting to know what angle your research is coming from in a little more detail. Whatever information you get for the 744 is likely to not be statistically relevant. The sample group of pilots and airlines for the 744 is simply too small (probably a few thousand pilots globally compared to several tens of thousands each for the 737 and 320s).

With 651 aircraft in service between 66 operators, that is just under 10 aircraft per operator. Hardly sfficient to base any meaningful statistical analysis with regard to upgrade potential in the light of any particular economy, and local influences will cause too much fluctuation between airlines and regions to not be taken into account.

Are yo sure you have though this through from a research point of view? The 747 may be the one that the public know and love, but if you base any statistics on this aircraft alone without taking the huge number of variables into account, you will have invalid data and therefore you will have a misleading (and inevitably "spun") article.

I know of a couple of guys who made jet skipper before reaching mid 20s, but all on narrowbody. Until recently 744s were mostly the domain of the legacy carriers most of whom operate (or operated) a strict seniority list as pointed out by Joe.

RIX

R-I-X

How would you like a journo to tell you how to do your job?

He said he's doing research on the 744. Give him what he wants to know or leave it be :ugh:

Good luck Jim :ok:

No 411A, not 'wrong' 100% right in fact. You left SIA long before the B744 came on the scene and the question relates to the B744 when the A310 was most definitely around and the joining age for a Singaporean was 26, (see post #12). What pertained when you were in SIA is irrelevant to this thread. RTFQ.

27 yrs old
 

They introduced me as the youngest in SQ or may be the youngest in the world.
Perhaps he was a Route Captain, RCA Relief Captain, IRF International Relief First Officer or F/O A. I don't know.
He was sitting on the left; approximately 19 year ago when I visited the flight deck during cruise.
Over and Out.

Malaysians can join SIA at 19 - I flew with a 29 yr old 777 Capt

Sorry, parabellum, you are sadly mistaken.
Long before you joined, Singapore nationals could indeed join the airline younger than age 26, with a proviso that their national service was deferred for a period, until they reached age 33, at which point, it was considered duly served....and this policy had absolutely nothing to do with 744's, nor any other airplane in the fleet.
In fact, one local First Oficer who was terminated due to a duty time dispute prior to his 33rd birthday, promptly found himself back in the military service as his deferral was canceled when he no longer worked for the airline.

So, your stand alone statement is in error.

A thing you learn about airline websites is that they are often written by those who know even less about aviation than journalists :)

Photos: Boeing 747-4HAF/ER/SCD Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net

The technical detail behind the operational arrangements is incidental.

http://www.pprune.org/questions/1797...e-captain.html

According to that someone did it at 22!